No room at the cinema

By
Annabel Ross

It's not a night associated with movie-going, but many Melburnians swapped parties for the cinemas on New Year's Eve.

IT'S not a night associated with movie-going, but many Melburnians swapped parties for the cinemas on New Year's Eve.

Screenings of the two biggest blockbusters to come out on Boxing Day, The Hobbit and Les Miserables, were sold out in Village Gold Class cinemas in Victoria. Screenings of the latest Bond flick, Skyfall, were sold out in Gold Class cinemas at the Jam Factory, Southland, Karingal, Doncaster and Crown, despite the fact that the film was released more than a month ago, on November 22.

In Hoyts Cinemas, premium sessions - in La Premiere or Directors Suite cinemas - of all films were completely sold out throughout the state on the night of New Year's Eve, bar a handful of tickets to a single evening session at La Premiere Eastland.

It seems that ''FOMO'' - fear of missing out - hit hard on the one night of the year that no one wants to be stuck with nothing to do, spurring thousands to jump online and book ahead.

A Hoyts spokesperson attributed the big sales to the range of family-friendly films on offer, meaning that young and old could celebrate New Year together, with premium cinemas providing an experience befitting the occasion.

On Sunday, Skyfall's global ticket sales surpassed $1 billion, making it the most popular Bond film ever, not counting for inflation. The Hobbit grossed $5.925 million last Wednesday, making it the biggest Boxing Day opening ever, and third biggest opening day ever, behind The Avengers and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.